The Central African Backbone (CAB) is a fiber-optic Internet backbone connecting the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Africa via high speed internet. The countries included in the CAB project are: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe. It's split up into five phases, each phase focusing on the fibre rollout in one or more countries.

List of CAB phases

PhaseReferenceCountriesApproval DateClosing DateStatusTotal Project Cost
Phase 1[1]APL1ACameroon
Central African Republic
Chad		24 September 200915 March 2016Finished[2]$26,730,000 USD
Phase 2[3]APL2São Tomé and Príncipe20 January 201131 December 2014Finished[4]$14,900,000 USD
Phase 3[5]APL3Republic of the Congo25 May 201129 October 2019Finished[6]$33,680,000 USD
Phase 4[7]APL4Gabon28 March 20129 April 2021Finished[8]$132,000,000 USD
Phase 5[9]SOP5Democratic Republic of the Congo16 July 201431 March 2022Finished[10]$38,093,000 USD

Funding

The project is funded by a loan from the World Bank, initially estimated at $160 million USD.[11] As of 2015, total World Bank funding for the project is at $206 million USD, and the total project cost, including financing from other sources than the World Bank, is estimated at $273 million USD.[1][3][5][7][9]

CAB in Cameroon

In Cameroon the CAB runs from the coast, through the capital of Yaoundé, to the north east where it meets up with the Chadian part of the backbone.[12]

CAB in Central African Republic

The deployment of the CAB in the Central African Republic was slowed down by the political instability in 2012-2013.[13] It runs from Chad in the north to the capital of Bangui.[12]

CAB in Chad

In Chad the CAB runs from N'Djamena towards the south where it forks off in two directions, one towards Cameroon and one towards the Central African Republic.[12]

CAB in Democratic Republic of the Congo

In Democratic Republic of the Congo the CAB will run from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi and Kisangani.[14]

CAB in Gabon

In Gabon the CAB runs from Libreville to Franceville, and from thereon it splits in two directions, one towards Lékoni and another towards Koulamoutou.[15]

CAB in Republic of the Congo

In Republic of the Congo the CAB runs from the port city of Pointe-Noire to Brazzaville, and from thereon north to Ouesso.[16]

CAB in São Tomé and Príncipe

In São Tomé and Príncipe the CAB runs in the capital of São Tomé[17]

International terrestrial fibre interconnection

The CAB crosses several international borders, including a Cameroon-Chad interconnection,[18] a Chad-CAR interconnection,[12] a Congo-DRC interconnection between Brazzaville and Kinshasa,[19] as well as a Congo-Gabon interconnection between running from Dolisie along the Congo–Ocean Railway, and through Mont-Mbelo, Makabana, Mossendjo and Mbinda, before crossing over into Gabon.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "www.worldbank.org/projects/P108368/central-african-backbone-apl1a?lang=en". www.worldbank.org. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  2. ^ "documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/100611482161172882/pdf/Central-African-Backbone-APL1A-ICR-P108368-final-cleared-12162016.pdf". documents.worldbank.org. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. ^ "www.worldbank.org/projects/P117652/central-african-backbone-apl2?lang=en". www.worldbank.org. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  4. ^ "documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/234391468190440376/pdf/ICR3141-P117652-Box391488B-OUO-9.pdf". documents.worldbank.org. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  5. ^ "www.worldbank.org/projects/P122398/central-african-backbone-apl3-republic-congo?lang=en". www.worldbank.org. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  6. ^ "documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/771951572880867186/pdf/Congo-Republic-of-Third-Phase-of-the-Central-African-Backbone-Program-Project.pdf". documents.worldbank.org. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Development Projects : Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon - P122776". projects.worldbank.org. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  8. ^ "documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/622871619791053067/pdf/Gabon-Fourth-Phase-of-the-Central-African-Backbone-Program-Gabon-Project.pdf". documents1.worldbank.org. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  9. ^ "www.worldbank.org/projects/P132821?lang=en". www.worldbank.org. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  10. ^ "documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/271291649102938232/pdf/Eastern-Africa-Central-African-Backbone-SOP5-Project.pdf". documents1.worldbank.org. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  11. ^ "go.worldbank.org/MPTI3O2IS0". go.worldbank.org. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  12. ^ "ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Maps". www.itu.int. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Documents & Reports - All Documents | the World Bank". www-wds.worldbank.org. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Kinshasa, Lubumbashi et Kisangani bientôt connectées et interconnectées par fibre optique". www.agenceecofin.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Projet de fibre optique : Contrat pour un backbone 1100 km". gabonreview.com. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  16. ^ "www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regulatory-Market/Documents/Brazzavile/Session9%20-1%20Luc%20Missidimbazi%20%282%29.pdf". www.itu.int. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  17. ^ "www.stpdigital.net/sociedade/688-sao-tome-entrou-na-era-do-cabo-de-fibra-optica.html". www.stpdigital.net. Retrieved 28 April 2015.[dead link]
  18. ^ "Journal du Cameroun - Actualités et Infos en direct au Cameroun et dans le Monde". www.journalducameroun.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  19. ^ http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/86452 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine | Retrieved on 28 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Huawei va interconnecter le Congo au Gabon par fibre optique pour 12 milliards de FCFA". www.agenceecofin.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.